John Šípek and Dr. J. F. Smetánka. The toastmaster was John A. Červenka, chairman of the convention.
The following morning the delegates met for business at 10 o’clock in the morning. The committee on pernament organization recommended for permanent president of the convention John A. Červenka and for vice-presidents Václav Bureš, M. Zeman, Joseph Domek and Rudolf Pilnáček; John A. Sokol was recommended for secretary, Milan Getting, Alois Jalovec an Jos. Kubíček for assistant secretaries; Paul Kvorka for treasurer. These recommendations were unanimously approved.
The report of the committee on rules contained little of special interest, except the provision that both English and Czech or Slovak might be used on the floor; it was interesting to note that the great majority of the delegates preferred to speak in English.
The committee on resolutions submitted quite a number of resolutions for the approval of the congress, some of them of routine nature, others of considerable significance. A telegram of loyalty was sent to Vice-President Marshall and a letter of greetings and congratulations was ordered sent to Prague to the Czechoslovak Press Bureau. Upon recommendation of the committee on resolutions the congress instructed the secretary to ask Secretary Redfield of the Department of Commerce to send as soon as possible a trade mission to Bohemia for the purpose of gathering information on the trade opportunities between the American and the Czechoslovak Republics. The reports of the committees on Ways and Means and on By-Laws were discussed together. The Ways and Means Committee estimated that the maintenance of the office and the expenses of the work which the proposed Chamber of Commerce should undertake would amount to about $20,000 a year, and figuring on that basis proposed definite membership fees for various classes of members. This matter produced considerable discussion and after having been referred back to the committee it was finally left for final determination by the Board of Directors. The only definite action taken by the Congress was to vote that local Chambers of Commerce and similar societies, such as have already been organized in Chicago, New York, Baltimore and elsewhere, should become members of the national organization by paying $2 for each member. Out of the usual provisions found in the By-Laws of Chambers of Commerce the most significant was the decision to have a board of 21 directors upon whose ability and efficiency the success of the new chamber of commerce will depend. A nominating committee canvassed very carefully the names of all the delegates and brought in a report which was adopted without discussion, as every delegate felt that the recommendation of the committee was most carefully drawn. The convention having decided previously that the headquarters of the Czechoslovak Chamber of Commerce of America should be in Chicago, seven of the 21 directors, that number being a quorum, are residents of Chicago. They are: John R. Červenka, James F. Štěpina, Frank G. Hajíček, John A. Sokol, Andrew Schustek, John Kubíček and Paul Kvorka. Pennsylvania is represented by Michael Bosak and Albert Mamatey, Maryland by J. Civiš and A. J. Švejda, New York by Thomas Čapek and Albert Hlaváč, Connecticut by A. S. Ambrose, Ohio by F. J. Vlček, John Pankuch and Chas. C. Chapp, Nebraska by Václav Bureš, Texas by Method Pázdral and Michigan by J. F. Eliáš. This Board of Directors was divided into three classes, Bosák, Hajíček, Schustek, VIček, Hlaváč, Eliáš and Červenka, serving for one year; Pázdral, Sokol, Civiš, Ambrose, Bureš and Kvorka for two years, and Štěpina, Pankuch, Čapek, Švejda, Mamatey, Chapp, Kubíček for three years.
The elections concluded all the business before the Congress, and at six o’clock on Tuesday, February 4th, the chairman adjourned the meeting sine die. The Board of Directors met immediately after and organized itself by electing John Červenka chairman, Albert Mamatey and Václav Bureš, vice-chairmen, John Sokol, secretary, Andrew Schustek financial secretary and James F. Štěpina treasurer.
The American Czechoslovak Commercial Congress gave the necessary impulse and set into motion the machinery needed to create business ties between the American and Czechoslovak Republics. A good start has been made; all depends on the efforts of the Board of Directors and on the way in which their work will be received and backed by American business men of Czechoslovak descent and by the entire Czech speaking body of American citizenship. Those who attended the convention left Chicago full of confidence that the work begun there would bear fruit.
American Y. M. C. A . has sent to Prague a carload of motion picture films and a staff of secretaries to carry on the noble work of the Y. M. C. A. among the soldiers and the new republic. Among the secretaries is also Rev. Ludvík Burian of New York. They received a cordial welcome from Mr. Klofáč, minister of national defense.
How times change! Slovaks who used to be treated by the Magyars as serfs now laugh at the following joke: A doctor was consulted by a Magyar who complained of stomach troubles. The doctor said: “You must do more exercise. I would recommend that you take a walk three times each day around Magyarorszag (the Magyar state).”
